The Local Taphouse

Came here with a group of friends for birthday drinks. The tasting paddles were a popular option and the ideal thing to order for a quick sample of their 20 beers on tap.
The pub is quite large with 3 levels including a rooftop area. Was a bit cold for winter but still a nice spot.
The beer paddles were a waste on me with food what I enjoy best. I ordered the buttermilk chicken burger for $ 18. It was large and the chicken was crisp with a tingling amount of chilli. A bit like a KFC Zinger. The chips however were pitiful and I’m surprised the staff served them. They came out cold and looked and tasted like they were cooked in a cheap take away shop in old oil. The occasional super crispy chip is like winning the lottery but when they are all overcooked and cold especially it’s just cheap and nasty. 3 stars for bad chips. 3 stars for if they think that’s how chips should be cooked.

Came here to visit for a friends birthday for beers and lunch. The beer paddle experience is great and if you’re a beer enthusiast then this would be a place to stop, with over 20 beers on tap there a vast array of very interesting brews (coffee, tea, chocolate, cherry, orange to name a few). The beer paddles are a good price for the chance to try 5 of the tap beers in smaller quantities.
Be warned you will likely pick a beer that you won’t finish and you aren’t going to see any of the regulars you’re used to. Still a fun experience for this alone I would say 4 stars but with the paddle we also ordered food and that’s where things went downhill.
I ordered the beef burger, for $ 18 it was a decent size and a large serving of chips. My chips however looked like they had been a little forgotten when cooking and a ¹⁄₃ of them I left on my plate as they were burnt to a crisp. It was a cold day and we were on the roof so potentially of no fault other than my own my burger was cold when I started eating it. It also was lacking any beef burger like sauce (BBQ, relish or something) instead had mayonnaise that was ok but the large amount of pickle, I found quite overpowering. Overall not a pleasant eating experience but by the end I found myself craving a normal beer and standard pub food.

Nice selection of beers on tap but small food menu. The place had a bit of a gastro pub feel. Very nice staff.

Great selection of craft beers to choose from. They have downstairs as well as an outdoor rooftop bar area. If you want a table on the top floor you will need to book as they can get quite busy. Stopped by on a sunday and one of the most popular meals coming out of the kitchen was their Sunday roast. Had the biggest Yorkshire pudding i have ever seen! Order and pay at the counter and you will get a number, feel will then be brought out to your table. They accept card which is great if you are short on cash. Older style pub with lots of creaky stairs. Good place to catch up with mates.

Thanks to superb guidance from the staff it was a pleasure to explore unknown beers. Food was good and reasonable priced as well. If there would be a terrace with (!) a nice view, it would be almost perfect.

Was pretty disappointed with our time here. We had a spot booked from 1:30 — 7:30 in an almost empty downstairs area on Friday (upstairs was packed though). The spot was for 13 people — but with just one table that seated 4 and a bunch of lounge chairs. It was also under blisteringly cold aircon which (although it was really hot outside) made some of us actually shiver. We did ask for it to be turned down and the guys were nice but nothing really changed. Even the beer blanket didnt help.
Our food (just some starters) took about 50 min to show up and only after we reminded them that we’d ordered (coincidentally in the exact amount of time it takes to deepfry something). Most of the food was fine. The beef in the burger was bloody awful quality– that super salty gross textured rissole meat you get for $ 2.99 kilo at the butchers. Chicken burger was great though!
At 4:30 we got told we needed to move because another party was coming (remember we’re booked till 7:30) and that they’d move us to a table that had just been vacated (which we had to clear ourselves!). No big deal — the other table was not under the horrible aircon so we were happy. Then about 15min later they told us we had to move again because they had a booking at 5pm for that table (not «We’ve made a mistake sorry» — just «You need to move).
So we were told our best option was the rooftop (it’s 35 degrees outside roughly). The original table we had was still empty at this stage and at 4:50 when the new party showed up they told us we had to move immediately — they didnt even have the courtesy to ask the other group to wait 10min until their booking time.
The staff were mostly unapologetic for the continual mistakes and when my friend tried to express (definitely no swearing or yelling– shes v polite) the bar guy got SUPER defensive and I’m pretty sure the words «I don’t really care» were very close to coming out of his mouth when we repeatedly asked why our area wasn’t booked till 7:30 like had been agreed.
Despite the pretty decent bartab we racked up it was clear that we were an afterthought to the upstairs booking.
The appeal of their taps is not enough to make up for their shitty service now that so many other pubs around are pouring their hearts into craft beer.

The interior is dimly lit with lots of dark wood. Atmosphere is that of young, upper-​class, working folks coming in for beer and dinner after work. Pretty upscale for a taphouse I thought given patron’s attire and the higher end menu with things like hangar steak. Pretty posh, and pricier.
The craft beer tap list focuses almost only on Aussie craft beer, a good thing. I was very excited to find Feral Brewing stuff, which is the only Australian brewery I know of that makes drinkable sour/​wild ales. I also got a sampler flight, which I’d recommend to try a bunch of different things. Food here was excellent. Very nice place to head out to get away from the tourists on The Rocks and the clubbers in Darling Harbour. Getting here a bit earlier for dinner is probably a good idea before it becomes a bar in full swing.

Maybe the best beer selection in Sydney — just bring your wallet. Good place to stop in before a game at Allianz.

Definitely quite the mixed impression here…
The BEER: It certainly appears that they have a good beer selection. Unfortunately, on my visit they were out of a substantial number of the beers. Thankfully, the bar stuff knew what they had and guided me towards a few good options.
The FOOD: Relatively tasty, but I had a hard time figuring out what to order. I ended up getting a roast beef with yorkshire pudding that was decent, but not outstanding. The veggie options my friends ordered were definitely on the small side. We almost didn’t get any food, as apparently the kitchen closes bizarrely early, like 8 PM.
The VIBE: We sat on the roof deck, but kind of hated the vibe. It was filled with rich kids playing hipsters. Lots of frat boy-​esque hijinks and physical pranks. Pretty loud with rather drunk folks. It really did not comport with what I would expect from a place with such a nice beer list (OK, the hipsters yes, but rich frat kid vibe, no). The music was pretty painfully loud even for an outdoor space, and the wind that blew in was pretty chilly.
Overall, might be interesting to come back to, certainly if they have their full beer list, but I think I’ll avoid the roof.

When my friend and I walked in around 7:50 pm, the workers gave us blank stares. After standing around awkwardly, they suggested we go up to the rooftop for dining because that’s what most people do. Upon getting to the rooftop, we’re told the kitchen is closed. Apparently, the kitchen always closes at 8, even though this place is open until 9/9:30 pm. Soooo early! But they made an exception for us. I got the sirloin, and it took a long time to come out (more than 30 minutes). My steak was actually very good and cooked perfectly! But my potato wasn’t very good. It was very bland, despite the truffle Parmesan fondant.
Also, did anyone see that huge cockroach that just flew in?

Staff unfriendly and beer selection weak, what’s the deal with bartenders acting like they’re elite? Give me a break.

Nice bar with traditional décor. Loads of craft beers. Had some food which was all home made, even the chips. The age group is late 20s and up so no youngsters.

Buried in the fun and localized area of Sydney, The Local is a great multi-​story pub, with beers on tap and an eclectic-​reclaimed ambiance inside.
We walked to this place from King’s Cross, so not a terrible distance from the center of Sydney.
During Happy Hour it wasn’t super crowded (I think later in the night on a weekend it gets busy however.
They have a great selection of brews on tap, including mainly Australian beers. Be careful, because some of the special ones they have can pack a punch! We sat upstairs where there was room for larger groups. My buddy and I were pre-​gaming before heading out to get sushi, the casino, and then another club.
This is a great place to start out the night. It was dusk, people were coming off work, and everyone was looking forward to a great evening. I’m definitely coming back!

To be honest, the selection of beer at the Local can be a bit overwhelming, especially given the number of beers with strange names that could be anything.
Feeling slightly overwhelmed about what the difference is between those 3 IPAs were and why they were different, I noticed they offered a beer taster — a selection of 5 beers to be drunk in a specific order. Best of all, the bartender happily chose them for me, after a bit of a chat about what I like/don’t like.
The Local is great if you like beer, and like to try different beers. The beer they have on tap changes frequently, so there is always something new to try, although by the same measure you can’t necessarily assume they will still have the same great ale you tried the last time you were there. But all in all, a great range of great beer.

I have been to The Local several times. Awesome place with huge selection of beers. Try them on Canadian or American Day which you will have massive collection of all kind of beers from that country.
Great place!

I recently went back here for the rooftop cinemas and watched Die Hard with my friends on a Tuesday night. We booked online for 10 bucks each and came here around 7PM. The movie didn’t start right away, so we grabbed some food. They have pretty good deals from Mon-​Thurs. $ 15 for parm and pint on Tuesdays! And its huge and you also get fries and salad. I didn’t feel like eating that so I got the mushroom and haloumi burger, which was really nice. It came with these ginormous wedges — both regular and sweet potato. Good but too thick for my taste. Had some of my friend’s chips, which was yummy.
After we ate, we proceeded to the roof top. It was a long way up, had to climb numerous stairs! The set up of the movie was really cool. They had the tables laid out and had our names on paper reserved on the table. Mine said Rachel Q and her crew, which I thought was really cool.
We sat down and they started handing out headphones. Its pretty cool because they are loud enough and you feel like you’re in the actual theatre. For the 10 bucks, you also get a glass of red or white wine or a beer, which is a really great deal. In addition, they passed out popcorn!
Huge fan, will come back for more silent movie fun!

One of my favourites. Several floors of funkiness, from way-​back sofas, to benches, to rooftop airiness. Often a band.
But it’s the beer to come for. It’s hard to find a better mix of craft beers — both Australian and international — in Sydney. I’ve seen crazy $ 50 bottles of Danish brew here: I dare you to try one.
Food is pretty tasty as well.
It’s just something about the laid-​back vibe here, and the variety of beers available, that make me love it.

Wow, if you’re bored with the selection of beers at regular pubs, give the taphouse a go! They have a rolling selection of strange beers on tap, some local small breweries and some from foreign lands.
The way to go is the 5-​beer tasting paddle, just choose any 5 of the on-​tap selection and you can engage in beer snobbery with your mates! The menu has wine-​style tasting notes for everything so sniff the bouquet, test the density of the head, and then gargle to your heart’s content. As a beer newbie I did find the range quite impressive, it definitely makes a case for beer as a gourmet experience!
Apart from the beer on tap there’s a variety of bottled beers, the standard spirits and wine selection for those afeared of beer, and I was happy to see a few boutique ciders. The food selection looks simple but they actually make a great effort to spice it up, the wedges include some sweet potato and I hear the burgers are quality merchandise.
Definitely recommend this one for the beer selection alone, I’ve not found a better one in Sydney. The usual downsides of a quality pub like this apply: On thursday, friday and saturday you can expect crowds so get there early or you could miss out on a seat (make sure to check all 3 levels!) It’s also quite noisy when it fills up.

As my fellow reviewers have indicated, the Local Taphouse rocks. But one thing worth mentioning– or reiterating with more fanfare and persuasiveness– is how brilliant the 5 beer tasting paddle is! HOLY HELL, it’s awesome. For starters, it’s $ 15. From here you can choose ANY beers off their extensive draft menu. The pours are pretty good, the colors look pretty when they arrange them from light to dark (a girly and possibly irrelevant point, I do realize), and if you have an A.D.D. taste palate like I do, you won’t be getting tired with any one flavour before you’re on to the next.
I love, love love belgian tripels. The Local Taphouse always has at least a couple on tap and even more by the bottle. With fruity tones, malty color and often up to 9% alcohol, what’s not to like about this style of beer? If you’re really feeling indulgent (in terms of color, taste and texture), have a gander at the shared boards on their food menu. I recommend both their charcuterie board ($ 20) and their bread /​chicken liver and pistachio pâté /​olive /​marinaded veggie board ($ 8.5). Both delicious. Both able to feed a peckish group of 3 or 4. The pork floss ($ 4.5) is another interesting little menu item. Don’t be wooed by the fantasy, though. It’s just over-​salted, hard to handle little strings of pork with plain mayo. Not as delicious as I had hoped. But it’s okay, Local, I’m not a fare-​weathered fan. Keep your menu a-​shufflin’ and I will keep a-​comin’.

Living down the road from The Local can be either be a curse or a magical coincidence, as I love beer. This is one of the best places in Australia to have tastings of Australian and international boutique beers, it’s an education in flavours, regions, and new trends of liquid behaviour.
Although debatable and controversial the beers go by numbers on the chalk board menu’s, and I remember around July/​August, I loved number 14, now-​a-​days after relentless brain bashing, I can’t seem to find my favourite long lost beer, as the numbers change when new beers are introduced.
Point of advice, if you’ve had one of those great samplers, and love a particular beer, don’t be lazy enough to just remember the number, remember the name, as it’s sure to change in the coming months.
The rooftop beer garden is a great location for a traditional sunday session with the mates, and it also serves a great menu of Australian and international culinary tastes. Although the menu can be quite pricey for Sydney Gastropub standards, the quality is very good, and the burgers are amazing.